


Sleep Debt

by felicialovescats



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Tim Drake-centric, batfam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26791549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felicialovescats/pseuds/felicialovescats
Summary: His mind whispered: I wish I can just push all my sleep in a week to just one whole day so I can stay awake longer.He didn’t know that somewhere, a being that can grant wishes heard him. Well, he didn’t figure that out immediately. But he found out quickly enough.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 242





	Sleep Debt

There was a time during Tim’s second year of being Robin, where he was so overwhelmed with work and cases and school and patrol and _everything,_ that he made a wish upon a shooting star. He was almost delirious, having gone for two days without sleep mainly due to an assignment that he couldn’t finish because he had to patrol _and_ solve a case.

His blinks were getting longer and longer, but the amount of caffeine in his blood was still enough to keep him awake for a while longer. He looked out the window, away from his laptop, and saw a shooting star.

And his mind whispered: _I wish I can just push all my sleep in a week to just one whole day so I can stay awake longer._

He didn’t know that somewhere, a being that can grant wishes heard him. Well, he didn’t figure that out immediately. But he found out quickly enough.

\--

As years went by, and he had more and more tasks to be done and less time to sleep, Tim slowly learnt how it worked.

He can stay awake for a long time without much side effects during the first week. Going past 7 days and the symptoms of sleep deprivation from a person going 2 or 3 days without sleep will occur. Serious sleep deprivation effects like hallucinations occur during the third week.

Tim once managed a whopping 22 days before crashing, when he was looking for Bruce during the time when everyone thought he was dead.

And when he crashed, he _crashed very hard._ It’s like going into a coma, except magically, he didn’t starve to death. Tim figured it was like the magic kept his body in an also stasis trance, where he didn’t need food, and he didn’t need to release any waste matter. And he could calculate how long he would crash – around 7 hours for every day he skipped sleep. So right after they managed to bring Bruce back, he went to his apartment, and slept for almost a whole week.

Nobody looked for him, which on one hand was good because he didn’t want to land in the hospital or whatever. But also…

He didn’t want to put words into how he felt about it, because Tim was scared that he’s going to cry. Or, you know, feel pretty bad about it.

But yeah, after years of having this ability, you can bet that Tim abused it to the maximum. Especially since he’s been returning to the manor more often, and the cases and paperwork (an upgrade from schoolwork) and patrols and tinkering with the computers were not doing him any favours on the sleep part.

The only bad thing about it was that, before all this, Tim could go 2 or 3 days without sleep, then sleep for around 10 hours, and be fine and dandy the next day. But now, if he went 3 days without sleep, he would have to sleep at least 20 hours to wake up – the magic won’t let him wake up before the time’s up, no matter how many alarm clocks he set.

But! If he took a nap with minimum of 1 hour continuously, the magic would deem him _asleep_ for the day, and he could get away with skipping sleep for the rest of the day. It doesn’t work if he took 10 minutes naps collectively that adds up to one hour – it needed to be continuous one hour. Trust him, he tried.

Sometimes he forgot to nap, and before he realises it Tim would have went through 3 days without sleep, and he didn’t have the time to crash – things to do, places to go, people to see. So instead he’ll just go without sleep, until the time where he could crash, then he’ll just make up something to the family that will explain his absence, and then coma it off.

After years of having this ability, Tim was definitely owning it.

Until he didn’t.

\--

Okay, in Tim’s defense, he forgot. He lost count of his days, because there was a case (ain’t that always the case?).

Children were going missing, and everyone in Gotham knew that while each of the Bat clan had their own line drawn in the sand (like how Red Hood despises drug dealers, Nightwing is always more violent towards rapists, Robin will go on a rampage against animal abusers), everyone _abhorred_ child abusers. And child trafficking definitely counted.

And because everyone knew that tracking down these people were Tim and Barbara’s specialty - they were the ones doing most of the work. And because it was so time-sensitive, per Tim’s usual he stayed up multiple nights to work.

Then it was the fieldwork, where most of the Bats were out at night, looking to shut the trafficking ring down. And they managed to do that, with minimum injury.

And that was the time where, if Tim actually remembered, he would take a short nap or an actual sleep, because it had been a long week and a half. But, that was also the time where a new proposal came into his inbox for the CEO, and the idea proposed was so appealing and it had so much potential his brain went into overdrive trying to make it a reality.

That meant adding a couple of sleepless nights to make it a good total of two weeks without sleep. Which was still fine.

With the new proposal on the way towards reality, Tim thought he could have a few day’s break. And he had planned on crashing _then,_ because they were in-between important stuff, and around 4 days of him disappearing should be no problem.

But then in came Jason to his apartment, demanding his attention on yet _another_ trafficking trade, this time involving teenagers, most of them female. It was something serious enough that Red Hood decided to look for help instead of dealing with it himself, and Tim knew some psychology, okay. He knew that if someone did something worth praising, they _deserved_ to be praised. And praising Red Hood for looking for help meant that he got Tim’s full attention.

Which meant that by the time everything was done, and Tim reached home, it was close to three weeks of no sleep, which was also close to his limits.

He had learnt a long time ago what tricks worked to make sure that no one noticed that he didn’t actually sleep. Some of the symptoms of sleep deprivation can be explained by a few days of no sleep instead of the actual weeks. Coffee also helps. And the fact that he always looked tired made the family almost desensitized to his constant tiredness.

The moment he had his bath, cleaning all the blood, rubbing all the bruises, the whole of his body relaxed, and he could feel the crash coming.

Tim could choose when he crashes, unless he was at his limit, in which then the crash will happen with or without his consent. The only thing he could manage to do was to change to his pjs, and fall into bed.

He was knocked out almost immediately.

Everything would have been fine, but there were two things he forgot.

He forgot to tell his family (or even just one person, who can spread the news around) that he was busy, and not to look for him for a least a week.

He also forgot that he was now on better terms with his family. Or rather, the Bat clan was feeling more like a family than before. So while previously he didn’t need to worry about the Bats looking for him, they were closer in relationship now that he should have thought about that possibility.

Which was why he gave his family the scare of their life.

\--

The first person to realise something was wrong was surprisingly Bruce.

He knew about the teaming-up between Red Robin and Red Hood, and he knew the case was done when Jason had come by the Manor the next day for Alfred’s food. When he asked about Tim, Jason only shrugged.

‘He’s fine, wasn’t hurt, as far as I could see. He went back to his apartment I think.’ Jason said between bites, receiving the disapproving glare from Alfred. The younger man only smiled sheepishly.

Damian, at the side, scoffed. ‘Drake can take care of himself. He usually does this anyway, going missing after a long mission. Leave him alone for a few days, and he will return.’

Bruce smiled a little on the inside. The fact that Damian had noticed and mentioned about it just spoke about the closer relationship between his younger sons. Their fights had ceased to be hurtful and lethal, and instead was more banter and training. Time spent together had made this family better.

Not to mention Jason, sitting right here and having a meal like it was a normal day. When just a few months before, he would only enter the manor to pass some things or information to the person he needed to and left immediately.

Dick wasn’t here, but if he was, he would have been grinning, showing everyone just how pleased he was. Instead his eldest had work, and he had left early in the morning.

‘Well,’ Jason stood up, his food finished. ‘I’m gonna head out. Tell Tim that I owe him one when you see him, yeah?’ But he left before he got a reply, which was just typical of him.

Bruce mused on the possibility of them seeing Tim before Jason. It was true that sometimes Tim goes off the grid for a while after long missions. He always cited certain missions or tasks he had to do, but Bruce was quite certain that most of the time Tim used the opportunity to rest up, because he had always seemed so much better and well-rested afterwards.

He didn’t mention anything though, because knowing Tim, he would take that as some sort of scolding for him _not to rest,_ when that was the last thing Bruce wanted. But just like how he knew Tim, Bruce also knew himself, and all the times he tried to say something but ending up conveying a different meaning.

There was a reason why he never liked to say much, especially important events.

But still, it won’t usually go over a few days, so them not seeing Tim these few days is expected, and quite normal.

On the third day of Tim’s disappearance, Bruce got worried. No one had seen him at all, and sure even though Damian had rolled his eyes and said that it was really part of Drake’s norm, the fact that no one showed up with an explanation of Tim’s whereabouts was worrying.

At least before, Tim made sure that at least one person knew what he was doing, and there _was_ a reason for his disappearance. But this time there was nothing. No one knew where he was or what he was doing. The last person to see Tim was Jason, and he was adamant that nothing had happened to Tim the last time he saw him.

‘You know, if you’re worried, you can look for him, right?’ Dick said, showing up behind him.

Bruce was _not_ brooding at the Batcomputer. He was, in fact, looking into some of the cold cases. Cases that Tim could have taken that led him to be missing in action for a while, but no, there weren’t any changes or new information out on these cases. And Bruce knew his son well enough that he knew Tim would update these files the moment he had new information.

Dick’s deliberate silence was Bruce’s own technique in getting people to talk. So he shouldn’t be falling for that trick.

‘This is the first time he disappeared without notifying anyone.’

 _Damnit_.

‘But I bet you already knew where he was, yeah? World’s Greatest Detective?’ Dick’s tone was teasing, but gentle. His hand landed on Bruce’s shoulder, and he squeezed. ‘Come on, I’ll go with you if you want.’

Bruce turned back to the computer, where all his furious research on Tim’s possible whereabouts was done. Honestly, he already knew the most possible place Tim could be – in his apartment. His tracker was stationary in the apartment, and that would have been enough for him to settle his nerves down.

But it was _too stationary._ The tracker hadn’t moved for the past few days.

_And this is the first time he disappeared without notifying anyone._

Decision made, Bruce stood up, thankful for a moment that he didn’t change from his usual Batman costume. A glance towards Dick showed him that the man was already prepared for what he wanted to do – the typical colours of Nightwing was on him.

‘Let’s get Tim.’

\--

The sight of his second youngest son, sleeping peacefully in his bed was a huge relief.

The fact that he didn’t wake up when the two of them arrived was more… complicated. On one hand, he was sure that he trained Tim, just like any other ones he had under him, better than that. Situational awareness was one of the most important skill to learn, especially since someone could come in and slit your throat while you sleep very easily.

But on the other hand, the fact that he _didn’t_ wake up, meant that the teen was definitely overworking himself again.

Dick looked around Tim’s apartment and came back to the bedroom. ‘Yeah, lack of food, mess everywhere. I think it’s time we bring this little bird home.’

Bruce huffed. ‘Like you have the right to talk. I know for a fact that _everyone_ knew about your obsession with cereals.’ He only received an affronted “hey!”.

Bickering aside, Dick went to the sleeping form on the bed. In his mind, Bruce was starting to get worried again.

Sleeping through their arrival was not acceptable, but understandable, as they all had their habits of keeping quiet. But to sleep through them bickering? Something wasn’t right.

His gut feeling was proven correct when Dick shook Tim gently, but he didn’t wake up. Nor did shaking him violently, or yelling his name.

Dick turned back to Bruce, wide-eyed. Bruce made his decision immediately.

‘Call Leslie. I’m bringing him home.’

\--

If Bruce’s suspicions were correct, Tim must have fallen into this coma-like state since the day he and Jason split up after their case. Which meant that by the time they looked and found him in his apartment, Tim had been unconscious for almost 3 days.

Without food, without water. Just plain unconscious.

Perhaps the moment he demanded Dick to call Leslie, Bruce’s mind was full of _oh dear Lord what if he’s dead what if they were too late and Tim was already dead._ But Tim’s body was still warm, he was still breathing.

It’s like he’s just asleep. Dead asleep, out like a log. If it wasn’t the fact that he was _very sure_ that Tim would have woken up when they touched or moved him, Bruce wouldn’t have worried that much.

But in this current situation, where Dr Leslie had already given Tim an IV to make sure his body had food to keep him alive, but the needle prick _was still not enough_ to wake him up, Bruce was close to pulling his hair out.

‘Blood test and everything else looks fine. If I didn’t know that you don’t panic without reason, I would say that you’re just over-reacting to him sleeping just a little too deeply.’ Leslie said, looking through the results that she had gotten after doing some tests on Tim. Bruce went and grabbed the papers, just to double check her statement.

Thankfully Leslie knew him well enough to let him do his thing, and she just rolled her eyes. ‘Really, Bruce. I’m quite sure he’s fine. Brain scans didn’t pick any abnormalities up. I’m not sure why he isn’t waking up, but we’re doing the best that we can do for him in this situation, so we’ll just have to wait for him to wake up.’

Bruce nodded, keeping the results away.

That’s the only thing they could do anyway.

\--

Tim woke up, feeling surprisingly okay.

Usually when he wakes up after a crash, he would have the worst of hunger pain, which was quite annoying because even when he was so hungry, he knew logically that he could not just eat whatever he wanted. He needed to have small portions of softer food, so he won’t hurt his stomach. And for a few days he wouldn’t be able to drink coffee. He had the habit of carrying a travel mug everywhere, every time. It wasn’t his fault that people just assumed that it’s always coffee inside – sometimes it’s energy drinks, or tea, or just plain water.

(He put porridge inside once, when it was the day after he woke up from a crash and he was _so hungry_ , but he was almost late for work. He managed to find a shop that sells the best kind of porridge, which was the plain one. And with sheepish smiles the owner of the stall won’t blink twice when he gave her the travel mug.)

However, this time when he woke up, he was still hungry, yes. But it seemed much better compared to his previous crashes.

Tim blinked a few times, trying to blink the sleep away. It usually takes a while for his body to realise that _oh, it’s wakey time._ But when he tried to move, something tugged at his arm.

Tim looked down while trying to raise his arm up, and saw the IV.

_What._

‘Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne.’ A deep rumble came from in front of him, and Tim looked up to Bruce standing a few steps away from him, clearly just entered the room through the opened door. The man had his arms crossed on his chest, his face betraying nothing of his thoughts, but just the fact that he was “full-named” almost made his heart stop.

‘Ermm, yeah?’

Tim tried to sit up without pulling the IV line. With a sigh Bruce came and helped. It was moments later when Tim was finally sitting up and be comfortable on the bed, and Bruce remained standing, looming over him.

It was obvious that Tim was in trouble. The problem was he just woke up, and he had no idea what happened. But Bruce was going to let him know, probably.

Seeing how Bruce remained silent after calling out his full name, maybe not.

‘Bruce, is Tim- oh Tim! You’re finally awake!’ dick poked his head into the room, and when he realised that Tim was awake, he walked into the room.

This was when Tim’s brain finally came online and told him the glaring problem. He was supposed to sleep his debt off in his own apartment. Why was he in the Wayne manor?

‘Tim, we’ve been worried sick! You were almost in a coma for a few days, with no apparent reason!’ Dick said as he sat beside Tim and gave him a hug. Tim blinked in confusion, but leaned against the hug anyway.

 _Oh no,_ Tim thought, _the worst had happened._

‘Oh, you guys shouldn’t have worried. It’s fine, and I’ll wake up when I’m done sleeping it off.’ He said when Dick released him, waving a hand as if it could just dispel Dick and Bruce’s worries like that. And that movement tugged at his arm again, and he was reminded of the IV. ‘And this is also unnecessary, really. I don’t need food or drink or anything when I’m like that.’

‘Which meant that this had happened before.’ Bruce’s tone was bland, but that itself served as a warning to Tim that Bruce was _not happy._ Although seriously, Bruce was never happy – he didn’t seem like the normal human that could feel such a thing as happiness, but he was usually pleasant. Or at least he tried to be.

Unfortunately, Tim’s mind was on the _oh shit I fucked up oh shit I fucked up_ train going so fast he didn’t have the brain space to think about anything else. So he just hummed in agreement. ‘Well, as you guys can see, I’m fine, well and dandy. And thanks for the IV, but I’m still feeling a little hungry, so I’m just gonna go-‘

His arm was grabbed, and he was physically hulled into Dick’s arms. The man looked slender, but Tim knew the amount of strength these arms had, and after a token of protest, he became limp in his arms. That, and he basically just woke up from his sleep debt coma, and didn’t have the strength to do anything else.

‘Okay, come on now. It’s fine. Get some food in me and I’ll be back to normal in no time, I swear.’ Tim managed, scrambling to grab onto Dick’s arm when he was being lifted and carried, like a baby. Legitimately, legs hugging Dick’s hips, arms around his shoulders, like how adults would hold up a toddler.

It would have been totally embarrassing, if he didn’t notice that both Dick and Bruce weren’t saying anything. The determination in their eyes as they marched their way towards the kitchen was a little scary. So Tim decided that the best thing he could do right now was to just shut up.

\--

In the kitchen, Alfred was preparing some food for Damian. Tim estimated that it was the weekends, and in the morning, because he was almost always correct in his estimation of when he would wake up from his sleep coma. Which meant that this was breakfast. And the smell of coffee made his stomach growl.

Tim twisted around to try and make Dick release him, but it only made Dick hold on harder. ‘Dick, let goooo-‘

‘Nope. You’re gonna stay right where you are, and after some food, you’re going to explain _everything._ Starting with the fact that this wasn’t new.’

That made Alfred pause, giving Tim _a look._ ‘Master Tim.’ He rebuked, seemingly upset at that.

That look just made Tim a little defensive. 

‘What? Look at me, I’m fine. It’s just a longer sleep than usual, okay. I’ve prepared for it.’

Dick moved towards one of chairs next to Damian and plopped onto it, moving Tim to his lap like a freaking _child._ Tim could swear that this was revenge for whatever he had done to them while he was asleep. No, strike that, _he was asleep, he’d done nothing to them._

The arms around his waist was like a car’s seatbelt, and Tim knew he could unlock them with a quick a strike to Dick’s side, or a headbutt back onto his nose. But he won’t do that, because there’s a plate full of food in front of him. All just perfect for someone who hadn’t had food in their stomach for a while. And even though he wasn’t given coffee, just the smell of it was enough to lull him into believing he was having it.

The remaining of his energy was thus wisely spent on holding onto the cutlery and putting food into his mouth.

By his side, Damian seemed to be enjoying Tim’s humiliation, if the uptick of his brow was to be believed. Bruce, cruel man that he was, sat right opposite of Tim, sipping the hot coffee that smelt delicious. Alfred was by Bruce’s side, similarly enjoying his own food. Dick, behind him, didn’t even seem phased by Tim’s weight. He had his own plate of food beside his right hand. Still cautious, he had his left hand, grabbing tightly to Tim’s clothes, making sure he wouldn’t get away.

And this was what Jason came to the manor too, as the door slammed open.

He immediately froze at the door, his eyes on Tim, who was awake and on Dick’s lap.

‘Erm, wow, sudden mixed opinions on things. Hey Timmy. Glad you woke up. Guess Dickie-boy is getting a little clingy, eh?’ It took a moment, but he finally came up with something to say, just as Alfred had brough another plate of food for him. Jason came by Tim to ruffle his hair, and sat down on the other side, calling out a thanks to Alfred who settled onto his own seat again.

Tim grumbled, while Dick, the asshole, just laughed, with a tinge of _maniac._

‘Well, you would be clinging too, if you were there, seeing this boy woke up from a six-day sleep like it was something common that happens, and immediately tries to convince us to let him home alone, _after a six-day sleep,_ you’d want to have him close by so he won’t escape too.’

Jason raised his eyebrows, the spoonful of soup at his opened mouth, and _looked_ at Tim. ‘Wow, Timmy. That’s some next level shit from you.’

Tim just rolled his eyes instead of answering. He was going to die anyway, might as well finish the good food that Alfred had made first before anything else. He definitely won’t be escaping from Dick’s clutches anytime soon, and B’s glare told him just how determined he was at getting answers.

But no matter how much he wanted to just _not be here,_ here he was, with all food finished, all dishes cleaned. Everyone stayed at the dining table, though, even Damian, who only huffed when given an eyebrow raise.

‘I am here just to ensure that this does not happen again. Your inability to take care of yourself had caused us much disadvantage. Father and Grayson had been too preoccupied with you that they lost concentration during patrol, and _I_ had to step up and interfere before Grayson almost lose his head.’ Damian sniffed, his _I’m too mighty for all of you bitches_ face firmly in place.

He also ignored Dick’s squawk of indignation. ‘I _did not_ almost lose my head, Dami. It was just a little misstep which _although I’m grateful for you to assist,_ but that bullet was far from my head thank you.’

‘Yes it is far, _because I pushed you out of the way.’_

Bruce sighed and raised his hand to wipe it across his face. Tim assumed that was the reaction to how Dick almost died, as well as the squabbling that was to come. ‘Boys.’ It was said with a low growl.

The other two shut their mouth, but not before Dick childishly stick his tongue out. Tim didn’t see it, but Jason commented on it. ‘Are you still three years old?’, which gave Tim some idea what happened.

But jokes and interruption aside, Bruce finally looked at Tim with a solemn face. Everyone became silent.

The thing was, even though _everyone_ knew the trick with silence, the way how someone nervous would want to fill the silence with words and noise, and therefore make it even easier to confess to things that they would normally not confess about. Even though _Tim_ knew this trick, it didn’t mean that it doesn’t work on him.

Especially since he knew for a while now that it was too good for him to have kept this a secret for as long as he did.

So he talked.

Everyone was flabbergasted when he finished. But each was surprised at different issues.

Damian: ‘Only you would be involved in magic and _not_ be suspicious about its intent.’

Jason: ‘So someone gave you the ability to have a week worth of sleep all at once, and you think that’s a gift?’

Alfred: ‘Master Tim, has this been happening since you are _twelve?’_

Dick: ‘How did we not find out? You’re talking about sleep comas that make you unconscious for days!’

Bruce: ‘… You were overworking even when you just started being robin?’

Bruce’s comment gave everyone a pause. Tim immediately became a little shifty-eyed.

‘Err…’

He could say no, but that’ll be a lie. He could admit to the truth and say yes, but there’s a little problem of –

‘Timothy Jackson. I distinctively remember that I told you to let me know if you are getting overwhelmed.’ Bruce growled, frustration lining his tone. His fist tightened, and he looked almost like he wanted to bang at the table, but ultimately decided not to. 

Tim recoiled into Dick’s chest. ‘Yeah, but I was handling it!’

‘You just said that you wished to stay awake longer because you couldn’t finish your work on time.’ Jason commented.

‘Yeah, but _I was handling it._ This thing, it’s just giving me some convenience in doing the things that I planned to do already.’ Tim was growing desperate in trying to explain himself. He could see that none of them liked the fact that he can just conk out and be essentially sleep-dead for days. But honestly, the benefits outweighed the risks or dangers of the sleep-coma.

‘See, I don’t have the usual sleep-deprivation symptoms like normal humans, okay. I can last much longer, and since I don’t need to sleep at all, my productivity increases, okay? I’m able to do more stuff that you guys need me to do; those background search? Done. Recon at a new site? Done. Meetings with the R&D team? Done. Nightly patrol? Done.

‘I don’t know what else you guys want from me. I’m doing my best, okay? And this sleep debt thing, it helps a lot with that.’

Everyone fell silent after Tim’s outburst.

‘Look. I’m used to this. So let’s just pretend that you went past the disbelief stage, and go into how great of an advantage this is, and we’ll call it a day, alright?’ Tim moved to get out of Dick’s lap, and in Dick’s stunned surprise, he let him go.

Before anyone else to decide on how to react, Tim made his escape from the dining room and to his own room, determined to pack up and leave.

\--

‘Wow, we definitely fucked _that_ up.’ Jason was the one who spoke first. ‘But I guess more importantly, how did _you guys_ not even notice that the kid can just sleep _days_ off of his life? Or _not sleep_ for days?’

Dick only buried his face into his palms, hunched down in the way that just projected _disappointed in himself._ ‘I don’t…’

At the side, Alfred sighed, instantly looking older than he was. ‘Unfortunately, Master Tim is _amazing_ at hiding important information about himself.’

‘Yeah, no kidding.’

There was a pause, and the Bruce stood up so suddenly, the screech of his chair made everyone wince. ‘I’m going after him. He shouldn’t be alone in his apartment right now.’ Dick had looked up and moved to stand, but a gesture from Bruce made him sit down again. ‘It’s alright, I will handle this.’

Alfred left with Bruce, presumably to do the rest of his tasks around the house, leaving the three siblings in the room. It was apparent that Alfred trusted Bruce to deal with this.

‘Hey, what do you say we come up with a plan that makes sure the kid has his beauty sleep every day? Dick knows him the best, and while Tim will suspect everything that Dick does, he won’t suspect me or Damian.’ After another short pause, Jason said.

Damian raised his eyebrow at the mention of his name, but as he hadn’t tried to leave the conversation, it’s a good sign that he was agreeable to this.

Dick had a gleam in his eyes. ‘I guess there _is_ a few things we can do…’

\--

Bruce managed to catch Tim just as he was finishing zipping up his bag. He leaned at the opened door, essentially blocking the way. Bruce knew Tim could leave via the window, but he figured the younger man wasn’t at that desperate stage yet.

‘Bruce.’ Tim acknowledged his presence in the room, but he didn’t stop his packing. He shifted the overnight bag over his shoulders and turned to face him.

‘Tim.’ Bruce started.

But Tim only shook his head. ‘Don’t. You don’t need to… You don’t need to go the extra mile or anything. I know that this situation is… less than ideal. But you can’t deny that it brought in results, accomplishments that I wouldn’t be able to do had I not had this thing going on with me. I’m okay with this-‘

Bruce interrupted. ‘But _I’m not.’_

Tim blinked, his mouth gaping at being interrupted.

In a hurry to speak before he lost his train of thoughts, Bruce continued. ‘I don’t _care_ about the results, or accomplishment. Wait, no, I worded that wrong. I meant, I care about _you,_ and _your health,_ more than I care about what you can accomplish. I took you in as Robin, because of _you,_ not your accomplishments. And you may think that the sacrifice of sleep is worth it, and there are no serious consequences, but until we really test it out, we will not be sure if there are any side effects to your health. And honestly even if there are no consequences other than the fact that you _go into a coma,_ I would at least like to care for you while you are paying off the sleep debt, just for our own comfort of mind.’

There was a pause as Tim digested Bruce’s word vomit. For all the years that Tim had know and worked with Bruce, he had never seen the man so anxious and willing to speak as he was now.

He must have scared him pretty badly for him to speak so many words in one go. Not only him, Dick too, and the others.

Tim suddenly remembered the first time he went to a sleep debt coma. He was lucky that it was during his stay back at Drake’s manor, and no one really come check on him because it was the weekend, and he had told everyone he had plans even though he just wanted to stay at home (and maybe look into some clues he found on the case he was working on). Tim was terrified at what had happened, and all Google could tell him was that it could be a brain tumor.

He went to a doctor’s visit, and everything came out fine, so he didn’t actually worry too much. By that time, the case he was working on was near its closure and he got distracted.

The second time he fell into the coma, he already had a theory coming on. With careful planning he determined that his theory was true, and had set off to fully use it as much as he could.

But he still remembered the shock and fear when he woke up from the first coma. So he could understand where they were coming from.

… perhaps he was being a little too harsh on them.

From the way Tim slumped, Bruce knew that he had won this argument, for now. He debated the idea of hugging his son, but decided that if this wasn’t the correct time, then no time would be.

The way Tim sagged and pressed against him, he knew it was the correct decision.

‘Tim. Would you stay?’

It could be understood that Bruce wanted him to stay for a while until he was sure that Tim was alright. But both of them knew what Bruce really meant was to stay there for much longer than that.

And Tim was okay with that.

\--

That wouldn’t be the last time Tim went into a sleep debt coma. In their line of work, they won't let this kind of advantage be left unused.

But it would be the last time he went through it alone.

**Author's Note:**

> I got tired of having this sit in my WIP folder, so here ya go. I guess it's a good enough ending lol.
> 
> Thanks for dropping by! :P


End file.
